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Recent Posts
- Virginia Guard supports dedication ceremony for Loudoun County memorial to Iraq and Afghanistan wars
- Fort Pickett to hold bass tournament
- Virginia Guard communication professionals work with Tajikistan Peacekeeping Operations Battalion
- Marine engineers train with Fort Pickett Department of Public Works
- Virginia Guard’s DPU Soldiers complete cyber exercise with United Kingdom’s Territorial Army
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- Virginia @USNationalGuard Soldiers are getting hands on time with new Armored Security Vehicles - #photos - http://t.co/62FmoGrV 04:43:54 PM October 15, 2012 from Flickr
- Virginia Guard assists DEA in drug destruction as part of National Take Back event. #photos - http://t.co/qZOINixF 05:06:50 PM October 14, 2012 from Flickr
- Va. #NationalGuard supports dedication ceremony for Loudon County memorial to Iraq and Afghanistan wars #photos http://t.co/DI1SCJi9 07:53:01 PM October 13, 2012 from Flickr
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Virginia Guard supports dedication ceremony for Loudoun County memorial to Iraq and Afghanistan wars
LEESBURG, VA – Soldiers from the Virginia National Guard’s Leesburg-based Company C, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team provide a color guard and fire a 21-gun salute in support of a dedication ceremony for a memorial to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Oct. 13, 2012, in Leesburg. The Loudoun County War Memorial Trust Fund Committee held the ceremony for the new memorial located on the eastern monument on south lawn of the Loudoun County Courthouse. Col. John Epperly, commander of the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, provided remarks honoring the fallen Soldiers and Marine, and Veterans of Foreign War Loudoun County Post 1177 laid wreaths and unveiled the names on the memorial. “The Leesburg and Loudoun…
Latest News from the Virginia National Guard
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Virginia Guard supports dedication ceremony for Loudoun County memorial to Iraq and Afghanistan wars
Posted on October 13, 2012 | No CommentsLEESBURG, VA – Soldiers from the Virginia National Guard’s Leesburg-based Company C, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team provide a color guard and fire a 21-gun salute in support of a dedication ceremony for a memorial to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Oct. 13, 2012, in Leesburg. The Loudoun County War Memorial Trust Fund Committee held the ceremony for the new memorial located on the eastern monument on south lawn of the Loudoun County Courthouse. Col. John Epperly, commander of the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, provided remarks honoring the fallen Soldiers and Marine, and Veterans of Foreign War Loudoun County Post 1177 laid wreaths and unveiled the names on the memorial. “The Leesburg and Loudoun... -
Fort Pickett to hold bass tournament
Posted on October 11, 2012 | No CommentsFORT PICKETT, Va. — Fort Pickett Maneuver Training Center and Morale Welfare and Recreation are hosting a Bass Fishing Tournament Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fort Pickett Reservoir (Ramp on Route 46). This event is open to military, Fort Pickett employees and the public. The cost per two-person team is $40, and a Fort Pickett fishing license and state fishing license are required. Cash prizes for first, second and third place teams will be award along with other prizes. The tournament is limited to 20 teams. - Click HERE to download the tournament flyer in PDF format. - Click HERE to download the registration form in PDF format. - Click HERE to download the MWR rules in PDF format.... -
Virginia Guard communication professionals work with Tajikistan Peacekeeping Operations Battalion
Posted on September 30, 2012 | No CommentsSANDSTON, Va. — Soldiers of the Virginia Army National Guard completed a three-week mission to Tajikistan Sept. 12, 2012, where they helped prepare the Peacekeeping Operations Battalion for a future United Nations mission. Led by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Edgar Marquis of Headquarters Company, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the team consisted of communications professionals from Company C, 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, and the Signal Company, 29th Infantry Division The Virginia Guard team also worked with the Tajik platoon that participated in the STEPPE EAGLE 2012 in Kazakhstan, a military exercise aimed at the interoperability of international forces. While Tajikistan has sent observers in the past, this is the first time that Tajikistan has sent an actual unit to participate... -
Marine engineers train with Fort Pickett Department of Public Works
Posted on September 30, 2012 | No CommentsFORT PICKETT, Va. — U. S. Marines conducting a predeployment exercise at Fort Pickett trained Sept. 21, 2012, with Virginia Guard engineers with the Department of Public Works, and the Marines evaluated the training as “awesome.” As part of their exercise, Marine engineers from the Combat Logistics Battalion of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit received classroom and hands on training on concrete framing and pouring operations from National Guard Soldiers of Fort Pickett’s Directorate of Public Works lead by Staff Sgt. Steve Moore. As a capstone exercise, the Marines poured 11 yards of concrete in two slabs helping to resolve two sanitation issues for Fort Pickett while reinforcing their understanding of concrete fundamentals. “The importance of concrete operations for force... -
Virginia Guard’s DPU Soldiers complete cyber exercise with United Kingdom’s Territorial Army
Posted on September 30, 2012 | No CommentsFAIRFAX, Va. — Five soldiers from the Virginia National Guard’s Fairfax-based Data Processing Unit completed a two-week joint cyber defense exercise with officers from the Royal Signals branch of the United Kingdom’s Territorial Army Sept. 28. This exercise provided the DPU soldiers with an opportunity to familiarize themselves with U.K. network operations and serve in a real-world cyber defense mission for the British Army Land Forces Headquarters. The exercise was run by British officers assigned to the Land Information Assurance Group, a component of the U.K.’s Royal Signals branch that focuses primarily on cyber network defense. “This exercise was a tremendous opportunity for our DPU soldiers to both gain experience with the unique LIAG operational processes first-hand and conduct a... -
Soldiers better prepared for unit movement challenges after weeklong course
Posted on September 30, 2012 | No CommentsFORT PICKETT, Va. — More than 30 Soldiers from units across the Virginia National Guard are better prepared for the challenges of moving equipment for deployment or training after Unit Movement Officer Deployment Planners Course held Sept. 24 – 28, 2012, at the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute and various training sites at Fort Pickett. The Defense Movement Coordinator’s section of the Virginia Army National Guard Logistics Directorate conducted the course that follows a program of instruction approved by the Chief of Transportation from Fort Lee. “With Virginia Guard unit deployments slowing down, this course provides us with an opportunity to reset and get back to basics on unit movement planning,” said Maj. Mike Waterman, the officer in charge of... -
VDF holds annual training muster at Fort Pickett
Posted on September 30, 2012 | No CommentsFORT PICKETT, Va. — More than 200 members of the Virginia Defense Force took part in a variety of different training events focused on response package proficiency and improving professionalism Sept. 29 and 30, 2012, during the all-volunteer organization’s annual training muster at Fort Pickett. Training included professional development courses for staff officers and senior noncommissioned officers as well as a safety officer and NCO course and training for Incident Management Assistance Teams and Mobile Command Post operations. In addition, more than 60 new VDF members took part in Initial Entry Training that focused on basics like VDF history, customs and courtesies, drill and ceremony and map reading. “This is how we are increasing our level of readiness for our... -
Sling load operations provide valuable training to Virginia Guard aviators, Fort Lee students
Posted on September 29, 2012 | No CommentsFORT LEE, Va. — Virginia National Guard Soldiers in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter provided aviation support to students conducting sling load operations training Sept. 28 at Fort Lee, Va. The students are assigned to the U.S. Army Ordnance School training to be ammunition specialists. In addition to providing realistic training to the students, the sling load training also gave Virginia Guard aviators and crew members the opportunity to work on their own skills and gain valuable flight training time. “It’s a great way for new pilots like myself to be able to get all our tasks signed off,” explained 1st Lt. William Bush of the 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment. “Today I’m going to get evaluated on sling load... -
Virginia Guard’s 183rd RTI trains new rappel masters
Posted on September 29, 2012 | No CommentsFORT PICKETT, Va. — Instructors and rappel masters from the Virginia Guard’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute taught the U.S. Army’s Rappel Master Course Sept. 24-28 at the RTI with a starting class of 26 Soldiers from around the nation. “The point of the rappel master course is essentially to advance the techniques that they learned from air assault school,” said Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Homer, noncommissioned officer in charge for the rappel master course. “Once they leave here they can rappel personnel off towers and off aircraft and hopefully any rotary wing platform the Armed Forces has.” During the five-day course, Soldiers hoping to become rappel masters learn how to tie and utilize knots commonly used during rappelling... -
192nd FW hosts Family Day festivities
Posted on September 28, 2012 | No CommentsLANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. – More than 900 Virginia Air Guardsmen and their families from the 192nd Fighter Wing participated in various activities at the unit’s Family Day, Sept. 9. A Hometown Hero Salute ceremony recognized military and family members of the 192nd FW. Airmen and their supporters were presented with items that reflect the number of days they deployed from June 1, 2011 to June 1, 2012. Recognized members walked across the stage with their supporters, were greeted by the official party and received awards or certificates for their service. Brig. Gen. Wayne A. Wright, Deputy Adjutant General of Virginia, said to the audience at Bethel Park that when he deployed, it was easy for him to pack... -
Engineers compete for bragging rights as “best squad”
Posted on September 28, 2012 | No CommentsCAMP PENDLETON, Va. — Soldiers from 1st Squad, 2nd Platoon of the Bowling Green-based 189th Multi-role Bridge Company, 276th Engineer Battalion, 91st Troop Command took first place in the unit’s best squad competition held Sept. 22 at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach. Seven squads of approximately 10 Soldiers each tested their skills and stamina in a wide variety of events including vehicle maintenance checks, weapons assembly and disassembly, drill and ceremonies, tire flip and launching a Zodiac assault boat into the surf. “This competition is to determine the best squad, but it is also a team building exercise,” said Capt. Matt Nowak, commander of the 189th. “The Soldiers are going to face some adversity, and they may be tired, but they still have smiles on their faces.” He explained that... -
Virginia’s 183rd RTI marks completion of new facility
Posted on September 26, 2012 | No CommentsFORT PICKETT, Va. — The Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute marked the opening of the second and final phase of their new facility during an annual family day event Sept. 23. Phase II includes 123,916 square feet of student barracks spread across three two-story barracks buildings. Each building is equipped with high speed wireless internet, complimentary laundry facilities, and various room configurations all designed to suit the needs of the diverse course offerings of the RTI. “We are in a class with very few states,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Howard “Skip” Halfacre, commandant of the RTI, on the newly completed state-of-the-art facility. “Students are going to attend a world-class facility, not only in the classroom spaces and in the...